Kids need shoe allowance for all that extra walking!

11:01am Friday 29th February 2008

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I have to respond to Councillor Richard Body's recent letter. His message simply reiterates the complete and utter madness of Dudley Council's attitude and lack of consideration towards the Cradley council tax payers. Having attended the recent Halesowen Area Committee Meeting myself and reading through the agenda regarding the closure of our one and only leisure centre, it disgusts me to read that Haden Hill, The Thorns and Halesowen Leisure Centres are quoted as "within easy walking distance".

It seems to me that when we have done a hard day's work we are expected to "walk" to the nearest centre available which is roughly 2.7 miles from Cradley.

Not only would one be totally shattered before we even started any fitness regime at the leisure centres but we would be totally exhausted if we had to walk that distance back again.

It is also my opinion that following the dispersement of our children to secondary schools around the borough not only is it very difficult for them to have a social life with their newly formed friends the only chance they can have of attending their local leisure facilities is being taken away from them also.

Can you imagine if our children are expected to walk 2.7 miles to the nearest leisure centre as well as 2.7 miles to their new schools and back, their poor feet would be doing an average of 55 miles a week and at the end of the day if the kind and caring council cannot even consider maintaining our local leisure facilities what chance would we have of getting a shoe allowance?

Tanya Priest, Cradley